Gefilte Fish from Toni Bader’s Mom, Gerry Reisman

Gefilte Fish (about 48 palm size balls)

2 pounds each of three fish: You need firm fish and mild fish. You can use combinations of tilapia, whitefish, cod, buffalo, flounder, walleye fillets, or salmon. Sugar Salt and Pepper Matzo meal (up to 1 cup) 6 eggs 6 large carrots 4 large onions 3-4 pounds fish heads and bones (Van's-Lafayette Road and 36th St. sells them or free from Kona Jack’s by pre-arrangement. This does not have to be the same fish but should be kosher fish)

Step 1: Make a broth: Fill a large soup pot with enough water to cover the vegetables and fish balls. Add the bones, heads, and if you purchased fillets, skin of the fish (use a sharp knife to remove the skin). Peel and chop ½ of carrots and onions, add it to the soup. Add some large pieces of peeled carrot to use for garnish (slice after cooking). Season with lots of salt and pepper, more than you would normally use. Bring the broth to a simmer.

Step 2: Grind fish, using a meat grinder or pulsing it in a food processor. Be careful, you don’t want fish to turn into paste.

Add: 1 egg for each pound of fish More salt and pepper than you think wise Shredded carrots and onions (about 1 cup each) (add skins & peels to broth) 1 ounce (or half an eggshell) of water for each pound of fish A dash of sugar (my mother’s secret ingredient) If you are making 3 pounds, can add up to a tablespoon of sugar Enough matzo meal to hold it together Mix thoroughly with your hands making sure the pieces of fish are not too lumpy.

Step 3: Make the fish balls:

Wet your hands and form palm size balls from the mixture.

BEZ Sisterhood Opening Meeting September 3, 2020

Drop gently into the soup and let simmer covered for 45 minutes to an hour. They puff up just a bit and tend to float. After 20-25 minutes, push them down to make sure that all of the fish is cooking.

If you cover the pot, leave a space for the steam to escape.

Step 4: Take the balls out of the soup with a slotted spoon and place into storage pans. Slice the large carrots from the soup on a diagonal to make discs to serve as a garnish on each ball. An aspic (jelly) may form after it cooling.

(I use 9 x 13 pans lined first with aluminum foil, then with plastic wrap. After the balls are in the pan, I cover them with plastic wrap and cover the pan with foil. The fish get discolored if it touches the foil.) I discard the broth.

Cool and serve with horseradish (homemade, of course).

Horseradish by Bob Bader from Big Mickey Maurer

2-3 large pieces of fresh horseradish White Vinegar- two small bottles or Apple Cider Vinegar during Passover Sugar Food Processor SHARP knife Vegetable peeler Ball jars or similar with tight lids (we often use jelly jars)

Clean, peel, and chunk the horseradish root. Using a food processor, grind the root, adding vinegar to keep it flowing. Add a couple of tsp of sugar. Stop grinding when horseradish forms into a paste (falling off the sides of the food processor).

DO NOT PUT YOUR FACE OVER THE GROUND HORSERADISH!!!!!!

Taste gingerly as it will be very spicy.

Bottle and turn upside down to make sure it is watertight. Keep the horseradish refrigerated after turning right side up.

The taste is very hot the first few weeks, then slowly gets milder.

BEZ Sisterhood Opening Meeting September 3, 2020